A tonneau cover or “tonneau” is well known in automotive terminology and generally refers to a cargo space area of a car or truck that opens from the top. In a pickup truck or utility vehicle having an open bed, the tonneau often describes a hard or soft cover used to protect the cargo bed from the environment. Hard tonneau covers open by a hinged or folding mechanism while soft covers typically open by rolling up the soft vinyl material. Both types of covers work to conceal and/or cover the bed and/or cargo. The tonneau also keeps items in the truck bed out of the driving environment by providing extra security to keep personal items out of sight.
One of the problems associated in using a tonneau, in connection with the truck bed, deals with the truck while in motion. When an item is located in the bed for transport, it can move freely around the bed under the tonneau with the motion of the vehicle. In the case of groceries or other fragile items, this can have disastrous consequences even under the best driving conditions since the truck and cargo can be damaged by items rolling round in the bed.
Accordingly, a tonneau with additional features for securing items is needed for use with an open bed pick-up truck.